Built on the physics of
nuclear weapons
All effect calculations follow Glasstone & Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977). Casualty methodology adapts the zone-based model from MIT course materials, layered onto real population density from the US Census ACS block-group data.
What the simulator models
Five concentric pressure rings (20, 10, 5, 2, 1 psi) using cube-root scaling for any yield and burst height.
First-, second-, and third-degree burn radii computed from fluence at range, with weather and visibility transmission factors.
600, 450, and 100 rem dose contours — automatically suppressed at high yields where blast effects dominate.
Day / night population distribution and indoor / outdoor mortality fractions applied per ring against Census block-group densities.
Tilt the map to reveal a Three.js-rendered fireball with HOB-correct slant geometry. Right-click and drag to enter 3D mode.
Switch between airburst and surface burst, slide burst height, and pick day or night with three visibility regimes.
Modeled
- •Blast overpressure (20, 10, 5, 2, 1 psi)
- •Thermal radiation (3 burn degrees)
- •Prompt ionizing radiation (600, 450, 100 rem)
- •Casualty estimates from Census block-group data
- •Airburst with optimal-HOB scaling
- •Day / night occupancy and weather visibility
Out of scope
- •Fallout and downwind contamination
- •Electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
- •Mass-fire ignition and firestorm dynamics
- •Per-building shielding and survivability
- •Long-term medical and societal effects
- •Evacuation or emergency response modeling
Calibrated to historical and modern yields
Plus a custom yield slider from 1 kt to 2 Mt.
Ready to explore?
Place ground zero, choose a weapon, and watch the rings update live.
Open Simulator →This tool is intended for educational and policy-analysis purposes only. Casualty estimates are rough approximations using simplified population density models and do not account for evacuation, sheltering, building density, or emergency response. Actual casualties from a real detonation would depend on many factors not represented here.